The Peruvian castana nut and the dream of an emerging economy for the Amazonia.
Today I intend to share an academic exercise by means of which to demonstrate (perhaps only to myself) what it means to make inadequate or inaccurate conclusions in the field of academic research, since what is obtained, it must be said, dangerously verges on the line of demagogy, or in the least of cases, creates inoperability of public policies (nonexistent, by the way, in this case). For this purpose, we will use the data extraction model in order to analyze the discursive aspect that the author proposes in her research.
Let's see what I mean. In the edition of Compendium, vol. 24, no. 47, 2021 Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado de Venezuela, the teacher-researcher Yasher Delfin, Silva signs the documentary research entitled "Exports of castana nut from Peru to the United States and the economic factors that influence their variation", This research, according to its author, follows a discursive line that is distinguished by "having well-defined immediate practical purposes, i.e., research is conducted to act, transform, modify or produce changes in a certain sector of reality".
The author continues: "in short, Amazonian castana nut exports have experienced sustained growth in recent years, which represents an important economic base for Peru". At this point, I must point out that the argumentation is imprecise and contradictory, since it is supported by the graphs used as the basis for the research, which the author credits to the Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP) and the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MINAGRI), see graphs (Table 1 and Table 2) these show that the production of castana nut in Peru has not had "sustained growth in recent years" as the author points out, especially see the years of harvest 2016/2017, and harvest 2017/2018, same that show us that the figures of the production of Peruvian castana nut were downward.
Subsequently, Yasher Delfin emphasizes, "foreign markets, particularly the U.S., are interested in the domestic production of this exclusive item, which apart from being considered a superfood for its vitamin, antioxidant and mineral contribution".
This point is also inaccurate, since when observing and dissecting the statistical indicators of tariff harmonization exports of SUNAT (SUNAT, Peru) we observe that the export of Peruvian castana nut to the United States has consistently represented an average of 24% of the domestic market (Peru). This does not imply an increase in Peruvian castana nut exports to the United States. On the contrary, we note that for the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 harvests, 41% of Peru's castana nut production was exported to South Korea, relegating the United States to second place among the importing countries of Peruvian Bertholletia excelsa (castana nut).
The author concludes, "it is recommended that the Peruvian government maintain and improve policies to strengthen, promote and develop the Peruvian castana nut sector...".
Unfinished argument even though I believe that the author acts in good faith and with good intentions in carrying out the research. However, the author is far from perceiving the Realpolitik of the international castana nut sector, and in Peru in particular. Realpolitik that goes through corruption, operational dysfunctionality, corporate ignorance, legality and lack of information for the design of a business plan, just to mention some demonstrable and documented points.
The Madre de Dios region, producer of the Peruvian castana nut, requires more than good intentions and international assistance. Madre de Dios deserves respect, dignity, and to begin by putting on the table the fact that each of the actors in the castana nut production chain must be "Responsible" for their area.
And when I refer to "Responsibility", I do it under the prism of Peterson, Jordan (1962): "Put your house in order before criticizing the world". To be continued…
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